US Marines boarded the Iranian-flagged commercial oil tanker Celestial Sea in the Gulf of Oman on May 20, according to US Central Command. The military said it suspected the vessel was heading towards an Iranian port in breach of the American blockade. The operation was carried out by personnel from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit.
CENTCOM's published account said the tanker was searched, its crew was directed to change course and the vessel was then released. It did not describe the ship as remaining in US custody. The accompanying military release identified the operation's date and location, but the allegation about the vessel's intended destination remained the command's account.
The command said US forces had redirected 91 commercial ships during enforcement of the blockade. That figure refers to vessels ordered away, not a tally of 91 boardings or seizures. The Celestial Sea operation involved a boarding and search followed by release, a more specific sequence than the overall redirection total.
Associated Press reported that the boarding occurred after President Donald Trump said he had postponed renewed strikes on Iran to allow negotiations more time. Trump said Gulf allies had asked him to wait two or three days because they believed a deal was close. That explanation came from the US president, rather than a joint announcement of an agreement.
The AP account placed the start of the American blockade in mid-April, several days into a ceasefire. Washington was seeking to pressure Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and accept terms to end the war. Iran's restrictions on shipping through the strait and the US restrictions on Iranian ports were separate measures affecting maritime traffic.
The boarding showed that enforcement at sea continued while diplomacy and the threat of renewed air attacks ran alongside it. For Celestial Sea, the reported outcome was a changed voyage after a search, not an announced confiscation of the tanker or its cargo.
